Scientists have told Sky News that groundwater levels are now so high that parts of Britain face a serious risk of flooding for weeks or even months to come.

Andy McKenzie, a groundwater scientist at the British Geological Survey, told Sky News that even if the rain stopped today, so much water is soaking through the soil that levels are likely to keep rising for another two months.

The risk of flooding could remain high until May, he said.

Figures exclusively revealed to Sky News show that boreholes used to measure the height of the water table are overflowing in many areas, with the highest levels ever recorded.

According to the data from the British Geological Survey nine of the 14 boreholes in southern England are now showing "exceptionally high levels".

Video:Thousands More Homes At Risk

At Chilgrove House in Sussex the groundwater level at the end of January beat records going back 179 years.

And at a borehole at The Well House Inn in Surrey the extraordinary rainfall has pushed up the water table by 20 metres in the last two weeks.

The British Geological Survey estimates 1.6 million properties in England and Wales are at risk of groundwater flooding.

Video:Volunteers Holding The Flooded Fort

They tend to be in low-lying areas where water is pushed up through rocks. They can be in normally dry areas, far from rivers and streams.